Quote: Best Things Nearby:
Access to 80 miles of marked hiking (and mountain biking) trails in the Pine Ridge Trail system, two very good museums (Museum of the Fur Trade and Dawes County Museum), geologic and paleontologic wonders such as Agate National Monument, Toadstool Geologic Park, and Hudson-Meng Bison Bonebed (in Sioux County, adjacent to Dawes County), Oglala National Grasslands, and numerous historic sites, such as Fort Robinson State Park, War Bonnet, and Yellow Hair Monuments; sites of former battles and Indian agencies and Red Cloud camp; and Sand Hill Country (writings of Mari Sandoz) in Sheridan County

Best Things About the Resort:
It’s small, quiet, and peaceful and in a beautiful setting. When the water is on, it only costs $5; without water, it’s free!

Resort Experience:
The sad thing about this vintage little 13-site campground in the pines is that it may not remain open much longer. I discovered it in our Wright’s Guide to Free Campgrounds listed for $5 a night. When we arrived, we found that their water spigot wasn’t running, with a "Water System Closed" sign posted. That’s not a problem for us because the tank in our motor home holds 100 gallons and was full. When a ranger came by later on, he told us that because of the lack of water, they’re not charging for camping here, which was even better. It was from him that we learned that the Forest Service is seriously considering closing Red Cloud. Except for one night when a small group of bikers headed for Sturgis stopped over, we had the campground all to ourselves.

The mountain man who turned us on to Chadron mentioned Chadron State Park as a "real nice campground." We called that park before heading down and found out it would cost us $16 ($13 camping, $3 use permit) a night to stay there. Would we have been planning to spend lots of time inside the park, it would have been well worth it. RV sites have electric hookups and a dump station, plus there are cabins and tent spaces. Amenities include showers, laundry, swimming pool, and a trading post. You can paddleboat on a lagoon, and fishing is supposed to be quite good. This oldest of Nebraska’s state parks contains miles of hiking and nature trails on its 974 acres that straddle the Pine Ridge and are surrounded by Nebraska National Forest. Horseback riding and jeeps are allowed in the state park, but motorized vehicles aren’t permitted on National Forest trails.

Since the weather was great (we wouldn’t need air-conditioning), and the scenery was similar at Red Cloud (a mile down the road), and we were planning to mostly visit places outside the park, why pay $16 when we can stay comfortably and quietly for free? At Red Cloud, the roomy campsites have tables and grills and are shaded by stands of ponderosa pine. A small playground with rustic log swings and teeter-totter stands near the entrance. Built by the Civilian Conservation Core in 1967, it used materials donated by Chadron Women’s Club (as explained on a wooden sign). Climbing up the piney hill above the campground, I could view ranches on adjoining private land. National Forest land boundaries follow somewhat of a checkerboard pattern here, interspersed with state and private lands. We’re hoping the Forest Service finds some way to keep this tranquil little campground open.

• Campground Type: National Park
• Campsite Type: RV
• Price Range: $0 - $10
• Cleanliness: Very Good
• Campground Facilities: Satisfactory
• Recreational Facilities: Satisfactory
• Campsite Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Satisfactory
• Service: Very Good

From journals Forests and Fur Trade in Northwest Nebraska